Fastener-driving tool

Abstract

Improvements in a fastener-feeding mechanism for a pneumatically powered, combustion-powered, or other rapidly acting, fastener-driving tool comprising a housing structure, a driver, and a magazine, as well as such a mechanism. The housing structure includes a nosepiece defining a drive track. The drive is mounted for repeatable movement along the drive track. The magazine is adapted to store a strip of collated fasteners, e.g., collated nails, such that a leading portion of the strip extends from the magazine. As a component for feeding fasteners individually and sequentially into the drive track from the leading portion of the strip, a pawl has a groove or grooves adapted to receive one such fastener. A fixed structure confines one of two sides of the leading portion of the strip so as to guide such portion. When in an operative position, a hinged structure confines the other side of such portion so as to guide such portion. The hinged structure includes a holding member adapted when in an operative position to hold one such fastener in the groove or groves and movable to inoperative positions so as to expose the groove or grooves. The hinged structure also includes a hinged cover adapted when in an operative position to secure the holding member in its operative position, as the only way for doing so, and adapted to move so as to allow the holding member to be so moved and so as to expose fastener-guiding surfaces of the fixed structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fastener-driving tool comprising: (a) a housing structure having a nosepiece defining a drive track adapted to receive a fastener and to guide the fastener as the fastener is driven from the driver track;   (b) a magazine mounted to the housing structure in spaced relation to the drive track and adapted to store a strip of collated fasteners so that a leading portion of the strip extends from the magazine toward the drive track; and   (c) a nail-feeding mechanism mounted operatively to the housing structure, the nail-feeding mechanism including: (1) means for feeding fasteners individually and sequentially into the drive track from the leading portion of a given strip of collated fasteners thus stored by the magazine, said means including a fastener-feeding element having at least one groove adapted to receive one such fastener;   (2) a fixed structure fixed to the housing structure and adapted to confine one of two sides of the leading portion of the given strip so as to guide the leading portion of the given strip along fastener-guiding surfaces of the fixed structure as fasteners from the leading portion of the given strip are thus fed;   (3) a hinged structure hinged to the nosepiece and adapted when disposed in an operative position to confine the other side of the leading portion of the given strip so as to guide the leading portion of the given strip along fastener-guiding surfaces of the hinged structure as fasteners from the leading portion of the given strip are thus fed, the hinged structure including: (i) a holding member hinged to the nosepiece, adapted when disposed in an operative position to hold one such fastener in the groove of the fastener-feeding element, and adapted to be hingedly moved to inoperative positions so as to expose said groove, any such fastener in said groove, and any such fastener in the drive track; and   (ii) a hinged cover hinged to the nosepiece, adapted when disposed in an operative position to secure the holding member in the operative position of the holding member, as the sole means for securing the holding member in the operative position of the holding member, and adapted to be hingedly moved to inoperative positions so as to allow the holding member to be hingedly moved to inoperative positions of the holding member, and so as to expose fastener-guiding surfaces of the fixed structure, any fasteners between the magazine and the fastener-feeding element, and any fastener in the drive track; and     (4) means for securing the hinged cover releasably in the operative position of the hinged cover with the holding member in the operative position of the holding member.     
     
     
       2. The fastener-driving tool of claim 1 wherein the magazine includes fixed wall portions, which are fixed to the housing structure, and movable wall portions, which are fixed to the hinged cover so as to be conjointly movable with the hinged cover. 
     
     
       3. The fastener-driving tool of claim 2 wherein the means for securing the hinged cover in the operative position of the hinged cover is adapted to secure the fixed and movable wall portions of the magazine to each other. 
     
     
       4. The fastener-driving tool of claim 2 wherein the magazine is adapted to store a strip of collated fasteners such that a coiled portion of the strip is stored in the magazine and such that a leading portion of the strip extends from the magazine toward the drive track.